On July 15th and 16th, 2023, we decided to go to the mountains. Ermina, who is the organizer of the sports and tourism activities in KUBRAT YOUTH, suggested that we climb Mount Golyam Kupen in Central Stara Planina.
At her suggestion, the hike was announced on her Instagram. The idea was good because people who had seen her on the show Survivor and wanted to meet her in person showed interest and joined the planned hike. It was clear that being a finalist, second only to Jizus, who is helped by God himself, has its advantages :-)
Our group was very diverse, with people from different parts of Bulgaria. Early in the morning on July 15th, we all headed to the meeting point and the starting point of the journey – the "Smesite" area in the Troyan Balkan.
When we all gathered, our group set off towards the "Ambaritsa" hut. The journey began, and as we climbed upwards, conversations started flowing naturally. After a few hours, we reached the hut. There were other tourists there, sunbathing. Without wasting time, everyone chose a place to sleep, and we set up our gear.
In the evening, we lit a nice campfire and prepared our food on it. Around the fire, we shared many stories and experiences, played games, and laughed a lot. The day ended at different times for everyone, but we all slept under the starry sky – some in their tents, others out in the open.
In the early hours of the next day, after a quick bite of the famous mekitsi (fried dough) from "Ambaritsa", our group set off towards Mount Golyam Kupen, which stands at 2,169 meters. When you reach the top, you can see Mount Botev (2,376 meters), and on a clear day, you can almost see all of Bulgaria laid out before you.
We conquered the peak by midday that day, and our flag waved in the realm of eagles and falcons. I could hardly describe the view that opened before our eyes from the summit. The memory of the hajduk times constantly occupied my thoughts.
After a short break and a late breakfast, we began our journey back to the "Ambaritsa" hut. By the time we were almost there, we knew that a delicious lentil soup awaited us! In the late afternoon, we took a different route down to the cars, which turned out to be worse than the climb. The forest paths were rocky and loose, which caused our legs to hurt terribly, but the joy of being in nature erased all difficulties and pain.
That evening, I slept in my bed, tired but happy with the experience!
